What is cultured buttermilk, and how is it different from sweet cream buttermilk?
To make cultured buttermilk, pasteurized or ultrapasteurized skim or lowfat milk is cultured chiefly with Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis (old name Streptococcus lactis) for acid and flavor and incubated at 20° to 22°C until the acidity is 0.8% to 0.9% (pH 4.6). In contrast, sweet cream buttermilk is the by-product of churning cream into butter. Buttermilk sold on the retail level is generally cultured. Both varieties are available in dry form for the food industry.